Trg fra Grge Martića

The area around the Cathedral of Jesus' Sacred Heart, between Mula Mustafe Bašeskije (to the north) and Ferhadija (to the south), is called Trg Fra Grge Martića.

During the Ottoman period there was a Janissary headquarters here which would later be turned into an inn and a military storehouse following the abolition of these infantry units in the first half of the 19th century.

It seems the facility was knocked down even before Austro-Hungarian occupation because it was not included in the city map from 1879.

Austro-Hungarian authorities had originally intended to build a market here, but plans were changed, so construction on the cathedral, as designed by Josip Vancaš, began in 1884 and was completed in 1887.

At one time, part of the square on the Ferhadija side was called Kapija, after the gate (kapija) on the south side of the headquarters, and the square around the cathedral was later called Crkveni Trg.

In 1919, the square was named after Fra Grg Martić, a Franciscan friar who was born in Rastovača (near Posušje) and served, for some time, as a parish priest in Sarajevo. He was also a fierce supporter of the Illyrian Movement and a writer who is best known for his collection of epic poems, Osvetnici.

In April 2014, there was an unveiling of a statue of Pope John Paul II, a proven benefactor of Sarajevo and BiH.

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